Indicator



F. HEDLEY AND J. S. DOYLE.

INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1,1919.

Patented Apr. 26, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

F. HEDLEY AND J. S. DOYLE.

I INDICATOR. APPLICATION FILED JULY 1, 1919- 1 75,962, Patented Apr. 26, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITE fi-TA'IES FRANK I-IEDLEY, OF YONKERS, AND JAMES S. DOYLE, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK.

PATENT OFFICE.

INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 26, 1921.

Application filed July 1, 1919. Serial No. 307,998.

To all 4.072 out it may concern Be it known that we, FRANK I-IEDLEY and Janus 5:3. Dorm, both citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of Yonkers and Mount Vernon, county of Westchester, State of New Yorln have made a certain new and useful Invention in Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to indicators, and particularly to devices of this nature for indicating when the doors on cars are closed or open.

The object of the invention is to provide an indicating device of the nature and for the purpose referred to which is simple in construction and eiiicient'in operation.

A further object is to provide a device for indicating whether or not a remotely located door on a car is open or closed.

A further object is to provide an indicating device controlled by the door or" acar in opening or closing, and which may be do served from either the inside or outside of the car at a point or station remote from the door, to ascertain whether or not the door is open or closed.

Other objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists substantially in the construction, combination, location, and relative arrangement oi": parts, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, as shown inthe accompanying drawings, and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings,--

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View in plan of a car showing the application thereto of indicating devices in accordance with the principles of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a broken view in vertical transverse section on the line 2, 2, Fig. 1, looking in the direction oi the arrows. r

Fig. 3 is atragmentary detail view in side elevation showing the manner of operating the indicating device by the door move ments.

Fi t is a broken detail view in vertical transverse section on the same pl ane as Fig, 2 and showing the indicator mechanism on a somewhat larger scale.

Fig. 5 is a similar view in horizontal section on the line 5, 5, F31 l,- looking in the direction of the arrows. I Fi 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing a slightly difierent structure of indicating mechanism embodying the invention, the indicator being shown in its display positlonto indicate that the door is open.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing the position of the indicator when the door 1S closed.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary View in elevation showingthe structure of Figs. 6 and 7 in the position occupied thereby when the door 1s closed. I

Fig. 9 is a similar view of the same with the door open.

The same part is designated by the same reference numeral wherever .it occurs throughout the several views.

In the operation of subway, elevated and other car systems, and in the expeditious, safe and practical operation of the cars or trams, and the control of the boarding and alighting of passengers, and particularly where the traflic is heavy. and congested, it is the common practice to employ side doors at the ends and also at one or more points in the length of the cars. At the present time cars having motor operated doors for the end and center entrances are extensively used, the control of the door operating mdtors being eii'ected from a point or station at a distance from the doors. In systems where one or more or all the doors of a car, or of two or more adjacent cars in a train, are controlled from the same point or station it is frequently difficult, if not imposcible, for the door control operator from his station, to make sure whether any particular remotely located door is open or closed. In some systems the starting signals to the motorman at the front end of the car or train are passed by means of bell cords on each car which the guards on the cars 01381? ate when all the doors on their respective cars are closed. Where the doors are located at a distance from the guard it is difficult for him to know certainly whether all the doors areclosed, as lie-should know, be-

fore it is safe to operate the starting sig nal. For these and other reasons delays are caused in the operation of cars or trams by failure to ascertaln promptly when any one or all the'doors are closed or open.

It is among the special purposes ofthe present invention to provide a simple and etlicient indicating mechanism,- controlled coincidently with the door movements, to Show whether the doors are open or closed, and

which will indicate the condition in this respect at a remote point or station and either inside or outside the car.

In the embodiment of the invention as shown in Figs. 1 to 5, a rock shaft 10 is supported to axially rotate in bearings 11, sultably mounted above the door 15, said shaft extending transversely of and partway across the car 16. The shaft 10 carries an indicator index or vane 12 at its inner end, while at its opposite end, said shaft is provided with a cranked arm, 13, the depending end of which extends into the path of travel of the front edge of the door, so that when the door closes its front edge engages the crank arm 13 and axially rocks the shaft,

through an arc suflicient to cause the index or vane 12 to stand in approximately a horizontal position when the door is completely closed. This axial rotation of the shaft 10 may be yieldingly resisted in any suitable manner, the resistance normally tending to return or restore the parts to an initial position in which the index or vane 12 will stand approximately in a vertical position when the door is open. One method of securing this result is to slightly overbalance the index or vane, or to apply a weight to one end thereof as indicated at 14, whereby gravity will cause the arts to return to and remain in initial position with the index or vane standing vertically when the door is open. Of course other simple means for accomplishing the same purpose will readily occur to those skilled in the art.

From this it will be readily understood that the tell-tale index or vane 12 is visible from inside the car over the heads of the passengers and informs the door control operator, or the guard on the car, wherever such operator or guard may be stationed, Whether the door with which the indicator is associated is open or'closed.

In like manner, if it is desired to enable a guard or attendant to ascertain from outside the car whether any one or all the doors on the car is or are open or closed, an indicating tell-tale or vane 17 is hinged on a vertical axis indicated at 18, and is normally held by a spring 19 for'an arm thereof to stand out at right angles to the plane of the side of the car as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5. Another portion of the tell-tale or vane is disposed in the path of the front edge of the door so that as the door closes the vane 17 will be rocked against the side of the car, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5, and in a direction opposed to the tension of the spring 19.. When the door opens the vane rocks out into indicating position visible outside of the car at a distance remote from the door.

In Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9, ashghtly different arrangement is shown, wherein the rock shaft 20, carrying the ind1cator 21 at its inner end, also carries an indicating device 22 at the outer end of the cranked portion 23, which cranked portion extends to the outside of the car and transversely across the path of movement of the front edge of the door. In this arrangement both tell tales 21, 22 stand in display position when the door is open, but when the door is closed the shaft 20 is rocked through an arc sufiicient to cause the indicators or vanes 21. 22 to lie substantially horizontally. Thus, when any door is open its associated tell-tales or indicating vanes, both inside and outside the car, stand in indicating position and are visible to the door control attendant or guard even when located at a distance from the door, and when the doors are closed their associated indicating devices are moved into their retracted positions, thereby enabling the distantly located control attendant or guard to instantly observe the condition and give his signals promptly.

Many variations and changes in the details of construction and arrangement would readily occur to persons skilled in the art, and therefore while various specific structures embodying the invention are shown and described, it is to be understood that the invention in its broadest-scope as defined in the claims is not to be limited or restricted to thespocific details shown.

Having set forth the objects and nature of the invention, what is claimed as new and useful is,- v

1.- In an indicator mechanism for indicating whether doors are open or closed, a telltale indicator vane, arranged to be maintained in retracted position when the door is closed, and means extending into the path of the door, for moving said indicator into indicating position when the door is opened. I

2. In an indicator mechanism for indicating whether doors are open or closed, a telltale indicator vane positioned at a point inside the door and maintained in retracted position when the door is closed, and means extending into the path of the door for moving the same into indicating position upon. operation of the door.

3. In an indicator mechanism for indicating whether doors are open or closed, a telltale indicator vane positioned at a point inside the door, and means arranged in the path of movement'of the door toward closed position to operate said indicator into retracted position when the door is closed.

4. In an indicator mechanism for indicating whether the doors of cars are open or closed, a tell-tale indicator vane, normally maintained in display position when the door is open, and a.crank arm depending into the path of the movement of the door to operate said indicator when the door is closed.

5. In an indicator mechanism for indicating whether the doors of cars are open or closed, a telltale indicator gravity actuated into display position whenthe door is open, and means controlled by the closing of the door for withdrawing said indicator from display position.

6. In an indicator mechanism for indicating whether the doors of cars are open or closed, a telltale indicator vane, a rock shaft carrying the same, said shaft having an arm extending into the path of movement of the door for rocking the same.

7 In an indicator mechanism for indicating whether the doors of cars are open or closed, a rock shaft extending transversely of the car, and having one end extending to the exterior of the car, an indicator carried by the shaft at each end thereof, said shaft having an arm extending into the path of movement of the door whereby the indicator is operated.

8. The combination with a door to be opened and closed, of a tell-tale device, means extending into the path of the door and operated coincidently with the door movements to move said device into and out of display position to indicate whether the door is open or closed.

9. The combination with a door, of an indicating device normally occupying display position when the door is open, means projected into the path of the door and operated coincidently with the closing movement of the door to withdraw said device from display position.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands on this 24th day of June A. D., 1919.

FRANK HEDLEY. JAMES S. DOYLE. 

